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The Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings underwent eventful offseasons, with personnel changes that included new coaches for both teams.

While the Nuggets hope their shakeup can help them remain a Western Conference contender, it seems the Kings could continue to struggle.

Denver hits the road Wednesday night for its first game under Brian Shaw and seeks its 10th consecutive win over the Kings, led by Mike Malone.

Shaw was hired to replace George Karl, who was fired after nine seasons, eight of which ended in first-round playoff exits. The first-time head coach is doing away with Karl's up-tempo style in favor of a more methodical approach.

By the time January rolls around - maybe the All-Star break, at the latest - Shaw envisions his team fully embracing his system, one that hinges on half-court sets, a powerful presence in the paint and smothering defense.

Until that time, Shaw's willing to overlook some of the growing pains that go along with the transition as he steps in after Karl led Denver to a franchise-best 57 wins.

"We know that they're going to fall back into the ways that they know," said Shaw, a longtime assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers before joining Denver. "So I guess it comes down to this: If it works, it's OK. If it doesn't, try it the way we're trying to get you to do it. For the most part, it's a process that's going to take time. But they're getting it."

This carries a lot of clout, too: Shaw has five NBA championship rings - two as an assistant coach and three as a player. His players are soaking up his brand of basketball because it's "championship-caliber basketball," Randy Foye said.

"You look at those teams that always get up and down, and do a lot of great things in the regular season, in the playoffs that ain't happening," added Foye, who was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal that sent swingman Andre Iguodala to Golden State. "The playoffs are grind-it-out basketball: Who can score after a timeout and then who can get a stop after a timeout. That's something he's trying to teach us."

Denver will try to weather the loss of Iguodala, part of a three-team trade that saw the Nuggets receive Darrell Arthur from Memphis. Also gone are starter Kosta Koufos and key reserve Corey Brewer.

They'll try to find a scoring punch elsewhere with Danilo Gallinari sidelined until December due to a torn ACL he suffered in April.

The Italian forward had a team-leading 135 3-pointers a year ago. "We will try to hold down the fort until he comes back," Shaw said.

The Kings are under new ownership after Vivek Ranadive's purchase from the Maloof family in May helped ensure they would remain in Sacramento.

"It's a new era," Ranadive has declared repeatedly.

The TIBCO software chairman has delivered on that promise so far. He hired a new coach (Malone), new general manager (Pete D'Alessandro) and a Hall of Fame consultant (Chris Mullin) along with bringing in a flashy new minority investor (Shaquille O'Neal) that will surely bring more attention to Sacramento.

On the court, the Kings are still a long way from being a winning organization.

The Kings (28-54) are coming off their seventh straight losing season and are just beginning a rebuilding project that's likely years away from completion. Ranadive is trying to lay a solid foundation first - right down to fixing all the potholes in the parking lot of Sacramento's suburban arena.

The new owner's first major move was making center DeMarcus Cousins the franchise player by signing him to a four-year, $62 million extension. The Kings are counting on Cousins, who has drawn multiple suspensions from the NBA and the team for his behavior, to keep his cool and show he can lead the franchise's new era.

"I've got big shoulders, so I can handle that," said Cousins, drafted fifth overall in 2010 after one season at Kentucky. "I consider myself a leader on this team, so I take all the responsibility that comes with it. I've had pressure from the beginning, so I don't have a problem with it. I was doing it in the beginning, so I definitely don't have a problem doing it now."

Nobody disputes Cousins' talent. He averaged 17.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season and, at times, looked dominant against the NBA's best big men. But he has struggled with defense and discipline, and he couldn't co-exist with coaches Keith Smart or Paul Westphal. If Cousins can control his emotions and channel his talent, he could be the key cog in Sacramento's resurrection.

The Kings are also hoping their latest lottery selection will provide an immediate spark. Seventh-overall pick Ben McLemore averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and two assists as a freshman on a Kansas team that went 31-6 and won a share of its ninth straight Big 12 title last season. McLemore will get a chance to shine whether he starts at shooting guard or comes off the bench.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Derrick Rose's return didn't go as well as he hoped, both personally and for the Chicago Bulls.

If his recent performances against the New York Knicks are any indication, Rose's first meaningful game at home since coming back from injury could have a better outcome.

Rose looks to bounce back from a tough season opener as Chicago seeks a sixth straight victory over New York on Thursday night.

After sitting out all of last season rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered late in Game 1 of a 2012 first-round playoff series against Philadelphia, Rose scored 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting as the Bulls fell 107-95 to defending champion Miami on Tuesday.

"If anything, I'm disappointed in the loss," said Rose, who committed five turnovers. "My performance, I can easily change that by making shots and turning down the turnovers. It's not the end of the world. We can fix things. We did not show what we were capable of."

Rose insisted his layoff had nothing to do with the sub-par performance.

"I don't think it was any rust," Rose said. "If anything, I have amnesia about it and we play in two nights."

The Bulls likely haven't forgotten how great he's been against the Knicks. Rose has averaged 27.8 points over his last nine versus New York, and his career average of 24.7 is his second-best against any team.

Chicago has been solid against New York even without Rose, winning all four meetings last season. It has taken eight of the last nine overall and 20 of the last 23 at home.

The Knicks blew a 25-point lead in their opener Wednesday, but Carmelo Anthony was solid down the stretch and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 90-83 win over Milwaukee.

"It was a test for us to see what type of team we are when it comes down to situations like that," Anthony said.

Tyson Chandler, who spent his first five seasons with the Bulls, had 10 points and five blocks.

"We want to put teams away, especially, you know, you're going into a back-to-back, so you have an opportunity to rest," Chandler said. "But like I say, at the end of the day, learning experience, and I'd rather learn with a win than a loss."

New York played without reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, who is suspended for the first five games for violating the league's anti-drug policy. Amare Stoudemire, who is coming off knee surgery, dressed but did not play to rest for this contest.

Raymond Felton scored 18 points and suffered a minor hamstring injury, but he doesn't think it will keep him out Thursday.

Anthony has averaged 35.2 points in his last five against the Bulls, who haven't lost at home to New York since a 120-112 defeat on Nov. 10, 2010 - one season before Anthony was acquired from Denver.

Joakim Noah, who had 11 rebounds but just two points in the opener, knows Chicago has to get solid contributions from everyone moving forward. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and Jimmy Butler, whose fourth-year contract option was picked up by the team Wednesday, finished with 20.

"I really believe in this team more than ever," Noah said. "I'm going to play better; our offense is going to get better. We feel like we're capable of playing a lot better."

New York last beat Chicago on April 8, 2012. Anthony, who scored 43 points, hit a tying 3-pointer with 11 seconds left in regulation before nailing a 3 with eight seconds remaining in overtime to give the Knicks a 100-99 victory.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Following an offseason of big moves and championship talk, the Los Angeles Clippers were quickly humbled in their season opener.

It doesn't figure to get any easier in their first official home game Thursday night against red-hot Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors.

The new-look Clippers (0-1) will try again for their first victory in the Doc Rivers era after the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers stunned them with a late 28-8 run en route to a 116-103 win Tuesday at Staples Center.

The Clippers, however, were outscored 76-34 off the bench - the most points by the Lakers' reserves since March 1985. New additions Jared Dudley, J.J. Redick and Darren Collison had minimal impact, combining for 27 points.

"We were not ready tonight," said Rivers, the longtime Celtics coach who hopes to push the Clippers into title contention. "(The Lakers) have heard for probably the last two months how good (we) were going to be ... so you knew that they were going to play like this was the world championship - with that type of energy. And I thought we never matched it. Everything they did was harder than us and more physical than us.

"So it was a good lesson for us."

After allowing 41 points in the fourth quarter and 14-of-29 shooting from 3-point range, Rivers' club will need a better performance against talented, up-tempo Golden State (1-0).

In their solid opener Wednesday, the Warriors showed why many believe they can contend for the Western Conference title. They shot 53.5 percent overall and sank 15 of 27 from beyond the arc in a 125-94 rout that made the Lakers look like a different team than the one from a night earlier.

"When we are clicking," coach Mark Jackson said, "we know how good we can be."

Golden State held visiting Los Angeles to 39.3-percent shooting and dominated the boards 48-39.

Thompson got off to an outstanding start, pouring in a career-high 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting - including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He's fared well against the Clippers, averaging 18.4 points and hitting 17 of 37 from long range in his last five meetings.

Golden State averaged 106.0 points and shot 40.7 percent on 3s while taking three of the four meetings with the Clippers last season.

Paul scored 25.7 per game over the first three matchups before going 1 for 7 for four points in a 106-99 loss at Golden State on Jan. 21.

Jamal Crawford, who had 24 points and hit six 3-pointers in that contest, has averaged 27.3 points in his last four meetings with the Warriors.

Stephen Curry scored 27.3 per game while making 14 of 23 from 3-point range in the three wins over the Clippers in 2012-13.

Teammate Harrison Barnes missed the opener with left foot inflammation, and will sit out again in this contest.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

The Knicks look to improve to 2-0 while the Bulls aim for their first win of the young season when these two teams square off in Chicago on Thursday night.

The Bulls lost their first game of the season Tuesday, 107-95 to the Heat, while the Knicks started off with a 90-83 home victory over the Bucks on Wednesday. Chicago has dominated this series recently with five straight victories (SU and ATS) over New York, which includes last season's four-game sweep that occurred without superstar PG Derrick Rose. He returned from a torn ACL to play his first regular season game in over a year against the Heat on Tuesday, but made just 4-of-15 shots, including 1-of-7 threes. Although Chicago got off to a slow start on Tuesday, the team is 8-0 ATS after scoring 35 points or less in the first half of their last game since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach. However, the Knicks are 19-7 ATS (73%) when playing on back-to-back nights since Mike Woodson started coaching the team. In addition to SG J.R Smith being out with a four-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug policy, the Knicks could be without starting PG Raymond Felton who injured his hamstring on Wednesday and is considered questionable. However, PF Amar'e Stoudemire will make his season debut on Thursday replacing PF Kenyon Martin, who won't play back-to-back games.

The Knicks nearly squandered a 25-point halftime lead Wednesday against the Bucks, needing to overcome a deficit with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. New York was able to pull away to win by seven points behind the superb play of C Tyson Chandler who blocked five shots while adding 10 points, six rebounds and three steals in what was an amazing defensive performance by the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year. SF Carmelo Anthony scored only 19 points (7-of-16 FG), but pulled down 10 rebounds while adding some timely buckets for New York in the fourth quarter. Anthony scored 34.7 PPG against Chicago last season, but made just 41% FG and 28% threes in the series. PG Raymond Felton added 18 points, three assists and three steals for New York on Wednesday despite pulling his hamstring in the second half. If he can't go, that would be a big loss for the Knicks considering he produced 22.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 4.7 APG in three games versus Chicago last season. SG Iman Shumpert made his bid to keep his starting job when J.R Smith returns from suspension, adding 16 points (5-of-13 FG), four rebounds and a block in 33 minutes. The Knicks will need to cut down on their turnovers if they are going to beat the Bulls, as they finished the game with a miserable 22 giveaways. But the defense forced 24 Bucks miscues and compiled a dozen steals.

The Bulls had a poor defensive showing in their opener, allowing the Heat to score 107 points on 51.4% FG and 11-of-20 threes (55%). Although PG Derrick Rose looked healthy in his first game back on the court since April 28, 2012, he struggled defensively at times. Rose finished the game with 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting and four assists, but allowed Heat PG Mario Chalmers to outscore him with 13 points. Rose has punished the Knicks in his career though, scoring 24.7 PPG on 48% FG with 7.1 APG in the 13 meetings. The best player on the court for the Bulls on Tuesday was PF Carlos Boozer. He was unstoppable at times and finished the game 13-of-18 from the floor for 31 points, seven rebounds and a block. SG Jimmy Butler, who could be poised for a breakout season, scored 20 points and also led his team with five steals and a +10 rating. As Rose begins to get more comfortable with regular season basketball, the Bulls will continue to improve. Their tough frontcourt has provided the Knicks with problems in the past, but SF Luol Deng and C Joakim Noah will need to perform much better than Tuesday when the duo combined for just six points on 3-of-12 shooting.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1-0) at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (0-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Clippers -6.5 & 205

The Warriors attempt to complete an L.A. sweep when they visit the Clippers on Thursday night, one night after embarrassing the Lakers at home.

The Clippers had an extremely disappointing result in their season opener against Lakers on Tuesday, losing 116-103 as 10-point favorites. In that game, the Clippers shot very well, going 41-of-83 (49.4%) from the floor, but gave up too many threes (14) and allowed the Lakers bench to take over the game late. Golden State also played the Lakers in its first game, but with much better results. The Warriors pulled out to an early lead and never looked back in an impressive 125-94 victory, when they shot 15-for-27 (55.6%) from behind the arc. Golden State did well against the Clippers last season, going 3-1 both SU and ATS. All four of those meetings finished Over the total. The Warriors offense was extremely impressive in these games, averaging 106.0 PPG on 49% FG and 41% threes in the season series. Since 1996, this series has been very tight, with the Clippers holding a 37-30 SU advantage (.552) and going an even 32-32-3 ATS. Warriors SF Harrison Barnes did not play on Wednesday and is expected to miss this game too because of a foot injury.

Golden State had a tremendous run in last season's playoffs and really showed the rest of the league that it was a team to be reckoned with. Scoring 101.2 PPG last season, the Warriors ranked seventh in the league. They showed that they can continue as an offensive juggernaut this season by putting up 125 points against the Lakers on Wednesday night. Golden State was not as impressive on defense last season though, allowing 100.3 PPG. The club added SF Andre Iguodala in the offseason in an attempt to improve this part of their game. Iguodala (7 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals on Wednesday) has struggled in his 18 career games against the Clippers though, shooting only 42.6% from the field, which is much lower than his career 46.0% shooting. Providing most of the offense for the Warriors will most likely be the backcourt duo of PG Stephen Curry and SG Klay Thompson. These two combined to hit 483 total 3-pointers last season, with Curry leading the NBA with 272 and Thompson ranking third with 211. The duo combined to make 7-of-12 threes against the Lakers with a combined 48 points (38 by Thompson) and a +58 rating. However, both Curry (18.3 PPG, 5.5 APG in 15 career games) and Thompson (13.8 PPG, 41% FG in 8 career games) have played below their career averages against the Clippers. PF David Lee led the league last year with 56 double-doubles, and averaged 13.5 PPG and 10.3 RPG over the four games played between these teams last season. Although he did not start the 2013-14 season with a double-double (24 points, eight rebounds), Lee did make 8-of-13 shots and dished out five assists.

The Clippers averaged 101.1 PPG last season (T-8th in NBA) and bettered that mark with their 103 points scored on Tuesday night against the Lakers. They unfortunately gave up 116 points in that game (41 in fourth quarter), which matched the most points they allowed in a regulation game last season. PG Chris Paul was his usual self against the Lakers (15 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals) but was only 5-for-13 from the field. Against the Warriors last season, Paul averaged 20.3 PPG on 50% FG with 8.5 APG. PF Blake Griffin had 19 points and seven rebounds on Tuesday night, but only made 3-of-10 from the charity stripe. He will need to match his numbers from his 12 career games against the Warriors (21.7 PPG, 10.4 RPG) and greatly improve his free-throw efficiency in order to have better results for L.A. than he did last season. Another key piece on the Clippers team, C DeAndre Jordan, will have his work cut out for him facing the likes of Andrew Bogut and David Lee. Jordan really struggled last season in this series, scoring only 5.5 PPG with 5.8 RPG and 1.0 BPG over the four games. SG Jamal Crawford shot only 5-for-13 against the Lakers on Wednesday, but was on the mark last season against Golden State, scoring 25.0 PPG on 48.1% FG and 48.3% threes (14-of-29). The Clippers had the NBA's fourth-best defense last season (94.6 PPG) but allowed an average of 106.0 PPG to the Warriors. They will need to have their defense working hard in order to slow down this potent Golden State offense.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

New York at Chicago
The Bulls look to build on their 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 games against the Knicks. Chicago is the pick (-8) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-8). Here are all of today's picks.

NEW YORK (1 - 0) at CHICAGO (0 - 1) - 10/31/2013, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 14-32 ATS (-21.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

GOLDEN STATE (1 - 0) at LA CLIPPERS (0 - 1) - 10/31/2013, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 186-246 ATS (-84.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 191-245 ATS (-78.5 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 5-3 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. CHICAGO
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 5-13 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
LA Clippers are 13-5 SU in their last 18 games when playing at home against Golden State

Derrick Rose looks to shake off a subpar return as he plays at home for the first time in 17-plus months when the Chicago Bulls tangle with the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Rose was just 4-of-15 shooting for 12 points and had more turnovers (five) than assists (four) in his return from major knee surgery in Chicago’s loss to the Miami Heat. “I don’t think I forced anything,” Rose said after Tuesday’s contest. “I just couldn’t knock down any shots. I don’t think it was rust.”

New York opened its season with a victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday in a game in which the Knicks let a 25-point second-half lead slip away before fighting off the Bucks. Center Tyson Chandler elected to take the view that the close call was of benefit to his team. “We want to put teams away, especially (when) you’re going into a back-to-back so you have an opportunity to rest,” Chandler said. “But like I say, at the end of the day, learning experience, and I’d rather learn with a win than a loss.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE: Bulls opened at -7.5 and were bet up to -8.5. The total opened at 190.5 and has come down to 188.5.
NBA POWER RANKINGS: Knicks (-8.5) - Bulls (-13.3) + Home court (-3.0) = Bulls -7.8

ABOUT THE KNICKS (1-0): The status of point guard Raymond Felton is a concern after he tweaked a hamstring in the opener. New York coach Mike Woodson said Felton’s availability would be decided shortly before game time even though Felton was insisting he would be in the lineup. “Hopefully it goes away,” Felton said after scoring 18 points against the Bucks. “It’s one of those things where it can last two to three days but it can last up to six weeks.” Forward Carmelo Anthony had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Milwaukee.

ABOUT THE BULLS (0-1): Chicago was overly hyped for the challenge of facing defending champion Miami, but the way the Bulls fell behind early and were not in the game made the defeat even more disappointing. “It’s not the end of the world,” Rose said. “This will be easily forgotten. We have the whole season to make a statement. For us, it’s building every game.” The one Chicago standout was forward Carlos Boozer, who repeatedly had his way inside with 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting in addition to grabbing seven rebounds.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
* Knicks are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings in Chicago.
* Knicks are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Chicago went 4-0 against the Knicks last season and has won the last five meetings.

3. Bulls C Joakim Noah (groin) was limited to 20 minutes in the opener but did grab 11 rebounds.

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers (-6.5, 203)

The Los Angeles Clippers endured a disappointing season debut under new coach Doc Rivers, especially at the defensive end. The Clippers will look to avoid falling into an early hole in the Pacific Division when they host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Rivers built strong defensive teams with the Boston Celtics but watched Los Angeles struggle mightily in a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Warriors had the opposite experience against the Lakers in their opener on Wednesday, getting 38 points from Klay Thompson in a 125-94 blowout. Rivers lamented his teams’ lack of preparation. “(The Lakers) destroyed us on the glass and destroyed us in turnovers,” Rivers said. “So it was a good lesson for us.” Golden State controlled the glass in its opener despite holding its entire frontcourt to 27 minutes or fewer on Wednesday.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE: The Clippers opened -7 and have come down to -6.5. The total opened at 203 and has jumped to 203.5.
COVERS POWER RANKINGS: Warriors (-9.0) - Clippers (-13.5) + Home Court (-3.0) = Clippers -7.5

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (1-0): Golden State finished second to the Clippers in the Pacific Division in 2012-13 and is looking to challenge for the top spot this season after bringing in Andre Iguodala to supplement the perimeter defense and display toughness on the wing. Iguodala only scored seven points on Wednesday but helped spread the defense for Thompson while providing one of the highlights of the night on a behind-the-back give-and-go exchange with David Lee. The Warriors led the NBA in 3-point percentage in 2012-13 and showed no signs of slowing down by burying 15-of-27 from beyond the arc in the opener, led by Thompson’s 5-of-7 performance.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (0-1): Los Angeles held a slim lead for most of its opener before being blown out in the fourth quarter by the Lakers’ reserves in a 116-103 setback. “The good thing is we have 81 more games,” Rivers said. “The bad thing is everyone is going to play us (hard).” Blake Griffin scored 19 points but struggled on the defensive end while the Clippers were outrebounded. Los Angeles is working in newcomers J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley and had the two split time with Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Warriors are 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Warriors are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in Los Angeles.
* Underdog is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Golden State F Harrison Barnes (foot) sat out the opener and is not expected to play until the weekend.

2. Griffin shot 47.2 percent from the field against the Warriors last season - his lowest mark against any Pacific rival.

3. Golden State took three of the four meetings last season, with the lone loss coming at Los Angeles on Jan. 5, 115-89.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

The Nets are looking to get their first win of the season Friday night when they host a Heat team trying to avoid falling under .500 early in the season.

Miami had an impressive win to beat Chicago in the season opener, but they followed it up with an embarrassing loss to the rebuilding 76ers. Brooklyn, however, has played just once this season, losing their opener in Cleveland. The Heat have dominated this matchup recently as they are 6-0 SU (5-1 ATS) against the Nets over the past two seasons, winning the three meetings last year by wide margins of 30, 13 and 20 points. The most recent game between these teams was a 105-85 victory for Miami in Brooklyn on Jan. 30, 2013. The Heat are 31-16 ATS (66%) after two or more consecutive Overs in the past three season, but they are just 89-126 ATS (41%) in November games since 1996. However, the Nets are 8-19 ATS (30%) as a home underdog over the past three years. SG Dwyane Wade will be in the lineup for Miami after sitting out the loss to Philadelphia in an effort to keep the superstar fresh.

The Heat won a convincing opening night game against the Bulls, only to follow it up with a loss to the 9.5-point underdog Sixers, who are expected to be one of the NBA's worst teams this season. Playing without SG Dwyane Wade, Miami fell 114-110 despite 25 points and 13 assists from SF LeBron James. The Heat star has dominated the Nets throughout his career with 27.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 7.6 APG over 33 meetings. PF Chris Bosh added 22 points (8-of-13 FG, 2-of-3 threes) and 10 rebounds. Through two games, Bosh has looked very good for Miami and is averaging 19.0 PPG (58.3% FG), 8.0 RPG and 1.5 BPG. Off the bench, SG Ray Allen added 19 points on 7-of-13 FG (4-of-9 threes) with six rebounds. PG Mario Chalmers also played a strong game for the Heat on Wednesday with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Miami was missing Wade in the game as it struggled to guard the Sixers on the perimeter, allowing rookie Michael Carter-Williams to score 22 points with 12 assists and nine steals in his NBA debut. Miami may need to reconsider its plan to rest Wade in the second half of back-to-backs if it can’t consistently win without him.

Brooklyn started off its season with a 98-94 road loss to the Cavaliers. The Nets played a decent game all around, except they were dominated in the third quarter being outscored by eight in the period. SF Paul Pierce looked good in his team debut, scoring 17 points on 5-of-8 FG and 3-of-4 threes. PF Kevin Garnett had just eight points, but did grab 10 rebounds with two steals and a blocked shot. C Brook Lopez scored 21 points on 9-of-18 FG to go along with five rebounds and four blocks. PG Deron Williams, playing in limited action because of an ankle injury, logged just 22 minutes and had only seven points on 2-of-6 FG. He did, however, add nine assists for his team, and he has also played well against Miami in his career with 16.5 PPG (48% FG) and 8.2 APG over 18 meetings. New SG Jason Terry provided a nice scoring punch off the bench with 14 points on 5-of-10 FG and 4-of-9 threes. The Nets are going to need more out of starting SG Joe Johnson, who had just 13 points on 3-of-10 FG and 0-of-3 threes. Brooklyn will be better off as Deron Williams gets healthier and is able to give them more minutes, which is what he's expected to do on Friday.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (1-0) at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1-1)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: San Antonio -7.5 & 207.5

The Lakers attempt to regain their composure after a crazy first two days of the season while the Spurs try to start the season 2-0 when the teams meet on Friday.

Just one day after pulling off a huge upset against the Clippers on Tuesday's opening night, the Lakers took a beating in Oakland (125-94) by the Warriors. PG Steve Nash was out of the game with it being a back-to-back, and SG Kobe Bryant is still out while he recovers from last season's torn Achilles, and the Lakers could not hold serve with the offensive powerhouse that is the Warriors. The Spurs started out the 2013-14 season in their usual fashion, winning 101-94 against the Grizzlies and using their entire roster to do so, as 10 players logged 17+ minutes). But PF Tim Duncan was limited to only 1-of-6 shooting in 17 minutes after suffering a chest contusion, and is doubtful to play in this contest. This series was very lopsided last season, with the Spurs winning 2-of-3 games in the regular season and then sweeping the Lakers in four games during the first of the Western Conference playoffs. In those seven games last season, San Antonio was 5-2 ATS and the Under was 5-2. The Spurs are 6-2 SU (7-1 ATS) in their past eight road games versus the Lakers, but amazingly enough, these two franchises have played each other 149 times in their history, with the Lakers winning 75 and the Spurs winning 74.

Many experts thought aging San Antonio would no longer be among the elite teams of the NBA, but its run to the NBA Finals last season may have quieted those doubts for the time being. Last season, the Spurs scored an impressive 103.0 PPG (4th in the league) and did this by rotating their players and moving the ball quickly around the court while on offense. San Antonio also performed well on defense last season, allowing only 96.6 PPG (11th in the league) and held the Grizzlies to only 94 points on Wednesday night in the season opener. PG Tony Parker has been one of the best NBA point guards for many years now and has done very well in his 38 career games against the Lakers (17.7 PPG, 5.8 APG). San Antonio has shown that it is going to be cautious with PF Tim Duncan as he is nearly 38 years old, which is why the future Hall of Famer will not likely play on Friday night. He has averaged 19.3 PPG and 11.2 RPG over 54 career games against the Lakers, but has shot his second worst FG Pct. (46.2%) against them as well. If Duncan does end up playing, his minutes will most likely be restricted. SF Kawhi Leonard is becoming an elite player in this league, but has really struggled in his six games against the Lakers during the regular season, averaging 6.5 PPG on 13-of-32 shooting (40.6%) and 4.5 RPG. He did perform much better against the Lakers in the playoffs though, shooting 55.3% from the field and raising his averages to 12.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 1.5 SPG. The Spurs do rely on their entire roster to win games, and this was still evident in their first game this season as the bench scored 53 of the team's 101 points in that victory.

The Lakers' bench took over game one and ran the Clippers out of the Staples Center, but without PG Steve Nash playing on Wednesday night, L.A.'s offense was not efficient, shooting only 39% from the field. Nash’s replacement, PG Steve Blake, was only 4-for-13 for 10 points, four assists and a minus-14 rating. Los Angeles has now given up an average of 114.0 PPG over its first two games this season, and were 10th-worst in NBA defense last season by giving up 101.0 PPG. With Nash and Bryant out last game, the offensive workload was spread out more across the whole team, with seven different players finishing with double-digit points in Wednesday's loss. PF Pau Gasol had 12 points and seven rebounds, but played only 23 minutes. He has performed well against the Spurs in 40 career games (18.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG) but was only 6-for-27 (22%) from the field in his two regular season games against them last season. Nash has averaged 14.0 PPG and 8.0 APG in his 54 career games against San Antonio, but has not looked like himself since coming to the Lakers. His 6.7 APG last season (in 32.5 MPG) was his lowest total since the 1999-00 season when he was with the Mavericks. SG Nick Young was brought in during the offseason to help with the offensive workload, but has made just 5-of-19 shots (26%) with his new team, and per usual, has not really contribute in any other areas with 1.5 RPG and 0.5 APG.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Detroit at Memphis
The Grizzlies look to bounce back from their 101-94 loss to the Spurs on Wednesday and build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Memphis is the pick (-7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Grizzlies favored by 12. Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

NEW ORLEANS (0 - 1) at ORLANDO (0 - 2) - 11/1/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 2-1 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 2-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

CLEVELAND (1 - 0) at CHARLOTTE (0 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 30-51 ATS (-26.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 26-45 ATS (-23.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 25-47 ATS (-26.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 26-47 ATS (-25.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 13-29 ATS (-18.9 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 5-1 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 5-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

PHILADELPHIA (1 - 0) at WASHINGTON (0 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-26 ATS (+20.4 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 80-120 ATS (-52.0 Units) in November games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 117-151 ATS (-49.1 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 75-109 ATS (-44.9 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 6-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 5-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

TORONTO (1 - 0) at ATLANTA (0 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-3 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-3 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

DALLAS (1 - 0) at HOUSTON (1 - 0) - 11/1/2013, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-1 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 6-1 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

DETROIT (1 - 0) at MEMPHIS (0 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 58-37 ATS (+17.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in November games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 190-149 ATS (+26.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 106-77 ATS (+21.3 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 4-0 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 4-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

OKLAHOMA CITY (1 - 0) at MINNESOTA (1 - 0) - 11/1/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 243-198 ATS (+25.2 Units) in all games since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 39-22 ATS (+14.8 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-2 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

MIAMI (1 - 1) at BROOKLYN (0 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 89-126 ATS (-49.6 Units) in November games since 1996.
MIAMI is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 28-47 ATS (-23.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 5-1 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 6-0 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

PORTLAND (0 - 1) at DENVER (0 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 79-54 ATS (+19.6 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-1 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 4-3 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

UTAH (0 - 1) at PHOENIX (1 - 0) - 11/1/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 33-48 ATS (-19.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 4-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 4-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

LA CLIPPERS (0 - 1) at SACRAMENTO (1 - 0) - 11/1/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 158-202 ATS (-64.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 26-11 ATS (+13.9 Units) as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 4-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 6-1 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

SAN ANTONIO (1 - 0) at LA LAKERS (1 - 1) - 11/1/2013, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 8-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

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